Vice Admiral Linda L. Fagan
Pacific Area Commander
U.S. Coast Guard
Vice Admiral Fagan assumed command of the Coast Guard Pacific Area in June 2018 where she serves as the operational commander for all U.S. Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the East Coast of Africa. She concurrently serves as Commander, Defense Force West and provides Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders.
Vice Admiral Fagan is the Coast Guard's first-ever Gold Ancient Trident, as the officer with the longest service record in the Marine Safety Field. As such, she advocates for and advises the Prevention workforce.
Vice Admiral Fagan reports to the Pacific Area from her tour as the Deputy Commandant for Operations, Policy, & Capabilities, responsible for establishing operational strategy, policy, capability, and resources to meet national priorities. Prior flag officer assignments were Commander, First Coast Guard District where she oversaw multi-mission operations across New England, and Deputy Director of Operations for Headquarters, United States Northern Command, advising the Commander on mission operations.
Admiral Fagan has served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way. She commanded Sector New York, with responsibility for all Coast Guard missions in the greater New York metropolitan area and as far north as Albany. Additional operational assignments include sea duty on board the USCGC Polar Star, and more than 15 years as a Marine Inspector. Vice Admiral Fagan's staff tours include Executive Assistant to the Commandant and Vice Commandant, and Division Chief of the Foreign and Offshore Compliance Office.
Vice Admiral Fagan has extensive interagency as well as intergovernmental experience. She has worked with both the International Maritime Organization and International Labor Organization on flag state and port state issues, including the development of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), and the Consolidated Maritime Labor Convention.
Vice Admiral Fagan has a Bachelor's Degree in Marine Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master's Degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, and a Master's Degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She has earned numerous personal and team awards during her 38 years of Coast Guard service.
The aforementioned bio and accolades detail a long and storied history of service and accomplishments but what stands out most are my personal recollections of this fine officer and all around great and magnanimous person. I had the pleasure of being a member of the US Coast Guard's District 1 and the Auxiliary's 1st Southern Region District while the CAPT Fagan was the Captain of the Port for Sector New York. From meetings and trainings attended held at Sector, I had the opportunity, albeit limited to briefly meet her as she would either pass us on base or address us as I and my comrades would work the New York Marathon which utilized the base and Verazzano Bridge adjoining it as a jumping off point. To the then Captain Fagan interact not only with her people but with we Auxiliarists showed me the value I and my fellow Auxiliarists had to her and the Coast Guard family we ae were all a part of. More poignantly, was my dinner with the Admiral in 2010 when I would be sworn in as the Division Commander of Division 12, Fort Totten, Queens, NY. The former Captain and newly frocked RADML Linda Fagan would grace my Division Change of Watch and swear my Vice Commander Joseph Heslin and I in. During the course of the evening, she took a particular interest in hearing of mine and Vice Commander's accomplishments and history and chatting up our spouses and learning about them as well. The one thing she did that sticks with me to this day that I use as an example of her kindness and humanity while having the responsibility of command was that RADM Fagan gave of her time to speak at length with my then six year old daughter Chloe as if she was one of her own and as if my daughter had grown up with hers throughout the years. This is when I knew for sure that this small but all important Service, was a family of brothers and sisters in arms and of volunteers treated like family in support of a common goal, Service to our country..."So that others may live!"
Our paths would cross again years later as we all met at a rear area of the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, NY to bid farewell to the US Space Shuttle, Enterprise. As the space shuttle made its final voyage to be barged to the USS INTREPID Air and Space Museum, RADM Fagan and her staff appeared to see the shuttle off to its final destination while in the company and attendance of Senator Charles Schumer, science fiction film producer Steven Spielberg and one of our infamous and favorite former Starfleet Officer's Leonard Nimoy aka Mr. Spock. Again RADM Fagan was gracious with both her staff and the several members of Flotilla 12-07, an aviation Flotilla from Farmingdale, NY that were in attendance. RADM Fagan served as an inspiration to me personally which sent me on my quest to pursue and subsequently earn my Marine Safety M-Pro/TRIDENT Device while working to rebuild the Marine Safety Program in 1st Southern. In two years as the District Staff Officer - Marine Safety, my staff and I grew the program to include both the expansion of Sector related missions the Auxiliary would participate in as well as tripling the number of M-Pro/TRIDENT Device holders. VADM Fagan, thank you for all you have done for the Service and our Country and for women in the Service and all in the Service as well. You are an inspiration to us all and a reminder to now 17 year old daughter that anything is possible if you dedicate yourself, your time and your talents to something. That then six year old little girl is pursuing her version of the Trident as she is beginning work on her Girl Scout Gold Award and it began with a conversation over dinner 11 years ago.
(The bio of VADM Fagan is provided by the US Coast Guard via USCG.mil - biographies - VADM Linda L. Fagan).
Submitted by:
COMO David G. Porter
Assistant National Commodore
USCG Auxiliary
National Diversity & Inclusion Directorate